The Echidna of Notre Dame
by Carly-AKA-Cmara
Summary: Raised by the evil Eggman, Knuckles makes friends with Kairi and tries to keep her safe from Eggman and his men. KairixKnucklesxSora
1. Chapter 1

As our story begins, we see what looks like a church, known as Notre Dame, a place well known in all of Parody City. As we go through the very lives of these citizens, we hear singing.

Male singer: **Morning in Parody City, the city awakes**

**To the bells of Notre Dame**

**The fisherman fishes, the baker man bakes**

**To the bells of Notre Dame**

As the camera zooms in closer, we see a fisher named Homer Simpson fishing on the side of a bridge. Then, a baker named Luigi comes out with fresh bread and puts them with the others outside.

**To the big bells as loud as the thunder **

**To the little bells soft as psalm **

**And some say the soul of the cities **

**The toll of the bells **

**The bells of Notre Dame **

We now stop at a wagon where kids were gathering to listen to a pirate, who is telling our story. This pirate had a red bandanna and his hair was in braids. He also had a black moustache and beard. This is Captain Jack Sparrow.

"Did you hear that? Those bells are so beautiful, aren't they? And with so many changing moods…" Jack Sparrow said. "But of course, they don't ring themselves."

"Don't they?" a puppet version of Jack asked.

"No, absolutely not." Jack then gestured to Notre Dame itself. "You see, way up there, high in the bell tower, lives the mysterious bell ringer himself… but who IS this creature?"

"Who?" the puppet asked.

"What is he?"

"What?"

"How did he even come to be there?"

"How?"

"Oh, shush," scolded Jack as he whacked the puppet with a stick, making the kids giggle. "Well then, it looks like we're in for a story, aren't we now?" then, in a mysterious tone, Jack continued, "This is a tale, my young ones… one of a man… and a monster…"

Jack: **Dark was the night when our tale was began**

Years ago on a snowy night, three people are traveling by boat. One of them is a 24-year-old man with tan skin, black eyes, black hair with green streaks, a red shirt with yellow lines along the sleeves, and blue jeans. This is Jake Long, the human American Dragon.

The second person is a humanoid badger with brown robes. He is Friar Tuck, the one rowing the boat.

The third person is a 23-year-old girl with blonde hair, a white shirt, a pink hair band, pink pants, blue eyes, and a dragon birthmark on her arm. She is Rose, Jake's wife. Right now, she was doing her best to calm her baby as to not alert authority by the crying.

"Quiet your young one, Rose." Friar Tuck said, concerned.

"We'll get spotted this way." Jake added, searching for any signs of an ambush.

"Hush, little one." Rose said, trying to calm her child.

**Three frightened mystical beings slid silently under**

**The docks near Notre dame**

They got out of the boat near the docks and approached a seller known as Neros Urameshi. "Hurry, everyone. We'll need some guiders for safe passage into Parody City." He said, concerned. Without any warning, an arrow struck through Neros' staff in his hand. The group looks around shocked as guards and soldiers surrounded them, coming from nowhere.

**But a trap had been laid for the mystical beings**

**And they gazed up in fear and alarm**

**At a figure whose clutches**

**Were iron as much as the bells**

The group turned and gasped as they see a sinister figure coming out from the shadows. He was a fat man with glasses, an orange moustache, a red suit, black pants, black boots, white gloves and a large pointed nose.

"Judge Dr. Eggman, yo!" Jake said in horror. Yes, it was Judge Eggman, the one most feared in Parody City and the city's Minister of Justice. As Eggman glared with hatred, the guards cuffed most of them, leaving Rose free as she looked frightened as Jake and Friar Tuck are taken away. She held her baby protectively.

"Bring these beings to the palace of justice." Eggman ordered.

"You! What are you hiding?" a guard asked as he noticed Rose's child.

"Stolen loot no doubt. Take them from her!"

"_She ran," said Jack grimly._

Rose wasted no time as she raced as fast as she could, holding her baby close. Eggman followed after her, not about to let Rose get away. Before he got in within an inch of her, Rose quickly leaped over a fence and ran towards Notre Dame. She knocked on the door desperately, shouting so she could be heard, "Sanctuary! Please, give us sanctuary!"

"There you are!" Rose turned and gasped as she saw that Eggman got by the fence and was running towards her at full speed. Scared, Rose tried to run, but Eggman got close enough to grasp half of the bundle. Eggman then struck Rose harshly and she let go as she hit her head on the stone stairs too hard. She didn't move, Rose was now dead. Eggman smirked at what he did… until the baby started crying.

"An infant?" Eggman opens up the blanket to take a look. It looked like a young red echidna with purple eyes and a tan muzzle. "Hmm… but suppose…?" Eggman wondered, and then the baby murmured and tiny red dragon wings with the same mark on its chest (which was a crescent moon on its side) appeared. Eggman gasped in shock as he closed the blanket, exclaiming, "A monster!" Eggman looks around and noticed a deep well. He got off his horse and walks up to it, holding the baby above the well and…

"_**MAMA-MIA, STOP!!**_"

"_Cried the archdeacon, Mario." Jack said with a grin._

Indeed, the person that stopped Eggman from dropping the infant was an all-famous plumber with brown hair, brown moustache, blue eyes, red shirt, red hat that had a white 'M' on it, and blue overalls. He is Mario the Plumber.

"This is an unholy demon! I must send it back to Hades, where he really belongs." Eggman stated in a cruel tone. However, Mario wouldn't allow it as he knelt near Rose's lifeless body and sang.

Mario: **See the innocent blood you have spilt**

**On the steps of Notre Dame**

"I'm guiltless! She ran, I pursued!" Eggman protests.

**Now you would add this child's blood to your guilt**

**On the steps of Notre Dame**

"My conscience is quite clear." Eggman scoffed.

**You can lie to yourself and your minions**

**You can claim that you haven't a qualm**

**But you can never run from**

**Nor hide what you've done from the eyes**

**The very eyes of Notre Dame**

Mario points to the statue figures all around Notre dame. Now, Eggman looked nervously as what he thought he saw was one of the statues, a woman holding a child, glaring straight at him. One false move and it could be a bad one. A lightning struck brightly. Eggman then knew that he couldn't kill this child, even though he wanted to. "…Very well, what must I do?"

"Care for the child…" Mario stated as he picked up Rose's dead body.

"What? I am to be settled with this-" Eggman paused and sighed, "Very well then. But on one condition that he lives here with you… in your church…"

"Here? Alright, but where do you prefer?" Mario wondered.

"Anywhere…"

Eggman: **Just so he's kept locked away**

**Where no one can see**

"…The bell tower." Eggman answered as he looked upward, "And who knows, our Lord does work in strange ways." Eggman looked back at the baby.

**Even this villainous creature may**

**Yet prove one day to be**

**Of use to me…**

Jack continued his story back in the present, while holding a puppet of Eggman carrying the child. "To make sure Eggman reminded the infant that he was an outcast, he gave the young one a cruel name… Knuckles…"

As the show continued, the baby grew from 8-years-old to 16 and then to 18 while Jack finished his story…

Jack: **Now here is a riddle to guess if you can**

**Sing the bells of Notre Dame**

**Who is the monster and who is the man?**

**Sing the bells… (Repeats)**

**Bells of Notre Dame!**

Cmara presents… _"The Echidna of Notre Dame"_


	2. Chapter 2

Years passed quickly since Eggman had started to raise Knuckles, who grew up to know so much. And by that, I mean knowing the wrong things, but we'll look into that later.

Then, a humanoid echidna walks out on the balcony of Notre Dame itself. He was red-furred with a long tanned muzzle, dark purple eyes, and quills on his head that hung loosely like Jamaican braids. Upon his chest was a symbol that looked like a crescent moon on its side. All he wore were red/yellow shoes and white gloves, which each had two large spikes on them, and both were on the knuckles area, thus meaning he was Knuckles, the same echidna raised by Eggman. Knuckles smiled as he looked out at the city. Hopefully, today would be special.

He kept looking on until a small yellow bird with an orange beak and feet, closed blue eyes, and a large head, which was sleeping inside a statue's mouth. Knuckles chuckled. He had been watching this young bird ever since it hatched and today just might be his day.

"Morning, Tweety," said Knuckles. The bird, known as Tweety, awoke.

"Oh, Hello." Tweety greeted happily. He wasn't really afraid of Knuckles since the echidna was always gentle to him.

"Today might be that day. You're ready to fly, right?"

"Oh… I don't know…" Truth was, Tweety wanted to fly, but he also didn't want to leave Knuckles.

Knuckles frowned, knowing what the bird was thinking. "Hey, come on. A good day to try." He cupped his hands for Tweety to jump in as Knuckles continued, "If there had to be a day _I'd _fly, this would so be it. The Festival of Fools!"

Knuckles smirked as he watched the activity below. Today was the time of year everyone had fun and acted like simple clowns. Tweety looked concerned however.

"It'll be fun as well with jugglers, singing, dancing…" Knuckles chuckled, and then sighed sadly. He had wished so much to join those below, to be among them. Of course his master, Eggman, refused his request every time and always found ways to force Knuckles to stay.

Knuckles then let Tweety go slowly as Tweety flapped his wings, eyes closed. Tweety peeked and then smiled. "Hey, I'm flying! I'm flying!!" Knuckles chuckled as Tweety returned to his hands. Then, other birds flew by. Tweety smiled, wanting to join their flock.

"Maybe I can come back again?" Tweety said.

"Better get going then. No one likes to stay cooped up here forever." Knuckles said.

Tweety nodded as he began to fly off, at last. Knuckles smiled but then frowned. Young Tweety was lucky, since he got to fly around free, while he was stuck inside Notre Dame. He hoped to leave… just someday. And although his dragon wings could easily take him from this place, Eggman had placed a force field around most of the bell tower so that he could still fly, but at a short distance…

Coughing was suddenly heard. Knuckles turned to see that the statue the bird was in had come to life. It turned into a black duck with an orange beak and a white collar on his neck. This is Daffy Duck. "Man, about time! Now I'll be spitting feathers out for a week!"

Chuckling is heard as another statue transformed, this time, into a gray rabbit with a pink nose and white fluffy chest. He is Bugs Bunny. "Well, that's what you get for sleeping with your beak open, Doc."

"Yeah, yeah… _go scare an old lady…" _Daffy muttered and then noticed Knuckles watching the citizens below. "So, Knuckles. What's going on? A fight? A flogging?"

"No, a festival." Bugs said.

"Really, the Feast of Fools?!"

"Yep, that one…" Knuckles said with a sigh.

"Woo-hoo! All right! Pour the wine and cut the cheese!" Daffy cheered. He had always enjoyed the F.O.F.

"That's right, Doc. Nice to watch the colorfulness of the peasant folk once in a while." Bugs added, grinning.

"Nothing like balcony seats for the F.O.F!"

"Yeah… and just watching…" Knuckles then started to walk off. What was the point if he couldn't join those below for the fun?

"Oh look, a mime." Daffy smirked and got ready to spit until Bugs placed a hand over the duck's mouth, making Daffy swallow in defeat. How dare Bugs ruin his fun! They then noticed Knuckles leaving.

"Hey, what gives?" Daffy asked.

"You're still watching with us, right?" Bugs asked, knowing Knuckles for a long time since Bugs had been here the longest. Of course, Knuckles didn't bother answering.

"I don't get it…" Daffy said, confused.

"Perhaps he's sick." Bugs shrugged.

"That's nonsense!" a female voice said as a female rabbit walks up. She had tan fur, blue eyes, and yellow tank top, purple shorts and her ears in a ponytail. This is Lola Bunny. "If 18 years from you guys didn't make him sick already, I don't know what else will."

"Yeah, but you know that watching the festival is a highlight for Knucklehead." Bugs said a bit offended by Lola's comment.

"Hey, what fun's the F.O.F is you can't go?" Lola said as some birds landed on her and she swatted at them, annoyed, "Go on! Scat, you bunch of buzzards! He's not stone like us." She added as they headed inside to follow Knuckles. They find him sitting at a table where there was a model of the city that he made for a hobby. Knuckles still looked sad as Lola placed a hand on his shoulder, "Knuckles, what's wrong? Do you want to tell me about it?"

"I'm fine… I just don't feel like watching, that's all." Knuckles answered.

"Don't you think of going there instead?"

Knuckles looked startled at the question but answered anyway, "Well, yeah but it's clear that I wouldn't fit down there… I'm not really normal…"

"_Oh, Knuckles…" _Lola paused a bit as the birds landed on her again, "Do you mind? I'M TRYING TO HAVE A MOMENT HERE IF THAT'S FINE WITH YOU!"

"Yeah, quit moping around. What do we have to do, paint your fresco?" Daffy asked.

"As your friends and guardians, we suggest that you join the Feast of Fools." Bugs said.

"Hold on, me?!" Knuckles asked, wide-eyed.

"No, the Pope. Of course, we meant you!" Daffy shoved the Pope figure in Knuckles' face.

"Rather a lot of educational experience." Bugs agreed.

"Wine, women and song." Daffy added, juggling some of Knuckles' figures.

"The different type of potatoes, for some strange reason."

"Bobbling for caramel apples!"

"Country singing folk."

"Dunk the Mook!" Daffy then placed a bucket of water on Bugs' head, getting slightly on the rabbit's nerves.

Lola just rolled her eyes, "Take some advice from me, Knux. If you just do nothing but watch, life's gonna move on without you."

"Believe us, we've always been part of this turf."

"Plus if we chip, do we flake? If we moisten, do we grow moist?" Bugs then smirked as he took off the bucket and slammed in on Daffy's head, making the duck quack in annoyance.

Lola just smiled and continues, "It's so simple. Grab a cloak, a clean pair of hose, and-"

"Guys, I thank you for your support, but you forgetting one really important thing here." Knuckles said.

"What?" they asked.

"My master… Eggman." Knuckles sighed as he picked up a figure of Eggman. The statues nodded as they now remembered how Eggman had forbidden the poor echidna from even leaving the bell tower. If Knuckles were to be caught out in the opening that would just mean big trouble. And I don't mean in a nice way either, my friends…

"Let me see… when he said you mustn't leave, does he mean… NEVER ever?" Bugs asked.

"Bingo, that 'never'. He just hates the Feast of Fools. Man, he'll really be PO'd if I dared to ask if I could go…" Knuckles groaned.

Daffy then grins slyly, "Who said you _needed _to ask…?"

"Oh no…" Knuckles said, knowing clearly what Daffy was thinking, with a concerned expression.

"Come on, you just sneak out…"

"Daffy, I-I can't…"

"…And then, sneak back in!"

"Daffy might have a point with that, you know." Lola added.

"But what about getting caught?" Knuckles said, beginning to panic a little.

"Better of begging than asking, Doc." Bugs shrugged.

"Just wear a disguise, be yourself." Daffy said, putting a cloak around him. "I'm sure there's other folks dressed like echidnas. What that Egghead doesn't know can't hurt you, right?"

"Ignorance is bliss."

"Says you, long ears." Daffy muttered while glaring at Bugs.

"Didn't you say so yourself? 'No one likes to stay cooped up here forever'." Lola said, reminding Knuckles of what he said to Tweety. Knuckles thought about it for a moment. Will he stay in the tower just to watch or would he go join the festival? After all, what Lola said was right and he smiled, "…You're right, I'll go!"

The rabbits and duck cheered as Knuckles continued, "I'll have to get cleaned up, head down those stairs, march through the doors, and-!!" he was cut short quickly as a familiar figure appeared, making him tremble in alarm. Of course, it's Eggman, who had always come to visit Knuckles to raise and train him. Knuckles looked nervous, as he had forgotten that Eggman was visiting today.

"Good morning, Knuckles…" Eggman said, smiling a smile that could've killed Knuckles if possible.

"Ah… M-Morning to you, M-Master…" Knuckles greeted as he backed away a bit. He turned to see that Bugs, Lola and Daffy had turned back to stone. They only did that so that nobody, except Knuckles, knew about their secret.

"Oh, pardon me. Were you chatting with someone?"

"Uh… J-just my friends, sir."

"I see." Eggman observed Bugs' statue and smirked, knowing how much he liked teasing the echidna about the 'talking to stones' habit. "And just what are your friends made of, Knuckles?"

"Stone…" Knuckles sighed, remembering that he and Eggman talked about this many times before.

"Can stone speak?"

"No, it can't…"

Eggman just smiled that smile again, saying, "Very well done. You've been taught well." He then placed a basket on a table nearby. "Now then… lunch." Knuckles nodded, grabbing a tray where there were some dishes, and sets the table for him and his Master, while Eggman took out a small book. "Shall we review your alphabet today?"

"Yes, Master. I would enjoy that very much." Knuckles sighed. By alphabet, that only meant learning words that Eggman knew would make the poor animal feel bad, ugly, so on.

"First off, A…" Eggman began.

"Abomination."

"B…"

"Blasphemy?"

"C…"

"C-Contrition."

"D…"

"Damnation."

"E…"

"Eternal damnation."

"Really good, F…"

"Festival?" Knuckles shrugged. He then cringed, much to his horror, as Eggman spat out most of his wine and wiped his chin, "Excuse me…?"

"F-Forgiveness!" Knuckles lied, hoping this would fool Eggman. Sadly, Eggman didn't fall for it as he closed the book, remarking, "You've said… _'Festival'_…"

"What?! No, I-!" Knuckles yelped in alarm and concern.

"You were thinking about going to the festival, weren't you?" Eggman asked as he got up and Knuckles followed him, still panicking a bit. "Well, it's just you go every year to the F.O.F. I mean… it wouldn't hurt once for _me _to come, right?"

"Knuckles, you must understand. I'm a public official, and I must go, yet I never enjoy one moment of it…" Eggman said as he headed downstairs, Knuckles still following, "Besides, the festival can be filled with thieves, smugglers and the most worst filth that call themselves human and what not!!"

Knuckles bit his lip as Eggman walked onto the balcony on the bell tower, staring out at the city. The bell ringer does his best to fix things up as he said, "Please, Master. I'm really sorry. I don't mean to make you so upset."

"Oh, Knuckles. Why can't you understand how heartless your mother was to abandon you here? Someone could've drowned you, but not me. I am the one who took you in as my only son." Eggman knew how ironic since he had tried to do the same thing to Knuckles many years ago, "How could you think of asking to go to this Feast of Fools?"

Knuckles walked up to Eggman, his head hanging in guilt, "Please do forgive me, Master…"

"Oh, dear Knuckles. You don't know what it's even like out there. But I do. _I do…_"

Eggman: **The world is cruel**

**The world is wicked**

**It's I alone whom you can trust in this whole city**

**I am your only friend**

As Knuckles listened, Eggman smiled and continued singing.

Eggman: **I, who keep you, teach you, feed you, dress you**

**I who look upon you without fear**

**How could I protect you, boy**

**Unless you always stay in here**

**Away in here?**

Knuckles followed Eggman inside the bell tower, the echidna still listening to the evil doctor, who said, _"Remember what I've taught you, Knuckles…"_

Eggman: **You are deformed (Knuckles: I am deformed) **

**And you are ugly (And I am ugly)**

**And these are crimes for which the world shows little pity**

**You do not comprehend (You are my one defender)**

Knuckles picked up a figure of him and some other figures he made.

Eggman: **Out there they'll revile you**

**As a monster (I am a monster)**

**Out there, they will hate**

**And scorn and jeer (Only a monster)**

**Why invite their calumny and consternation?**

**Stay in here**

Eggman moved some figures to make room for the basket he brought and lightly took the Knuckles figure out of Knuckles' hand.

Eggman: **Be faithful to me (I'm faithful)**

**Be grateful to me (I'm grateful)**

**Do as I say…**

**Obey…**

Both: **And/I'll stay **

**In here…**

Eggman placed the Knuckles figure on top of the model of Notre Dame, glaring at Knuckles as he walked off with Knuckles staring after him, "You are good to me, Master… I'm so sorry…" Knuckles apologized.

"You have been forgiven." Before Eggman left, he turned as he said, "Now remember, Knuckles. _This _is your sanctuary." Eggman then left the bell tower, while Knuckles sat there, thinking, _"My sanctuary…?"_

Knuckles: **Safe behind these windows and these parapets of stone**

**Gazing around the people down below me **

Knuckles climbed up to look where the Feast of Fools was being held.

**All my life I watch them as I hide up here alone **

**Hungry for the histories they've shown me**

**All my life I've memorized their faces**

**Knowing them as they'll never know me**

**All my life I wonder how it feels to pass a day**

**Not above them…**

**But part of them…**

After Knuckles picked up a few figures, he looked back at the festival and smiled.

Knuckles: **And out there**

**Living in the sun**

**Giving one day out there**

**All I ask is one to hold forever**

Knuckles jumped down to meet his friends, who came back to life, and Knuckles hugged both Bugs and daffy, as they smiled.

Knuckles: **Out there**

**Where they all live on unaware**

**What I'd give**

**What I'd dare**

**Just to live one day out there**

**Out among the miller and the weavers and theirs wives**

**Through the roofs and gables I can see them**

**Everyday they shout and scold and go about their lives **

**Heedless of the gift it is to be them **

**If I was in their skin **

**I'd treasure every instant**

Knuckles grinned happily as he slid down a small water pole, his dragon wings spreading out, and took in a view of the city.

Knuckles: **Out there**

**Strolling by the Seine**

**Taste the morning out there**

**Like ordinary men**

Knuckles splashed water on his face and stared at the stoned men, as he climbed to the top of Notre Dame.

Knuckles: **Who freely walk about there**

**Just one day and then**

**I swear I'll be content**

**With my share**

Knuckles climbed down and raced in front of Notre Dame, still smiling.

Knuckles: **Won't resent**

**Won't despair**

**Old and bent **

**I won't care**

**I'll have spent…**

**One…**

**Day out…**

**THERE!**

The camera zooms away from Knuckles and Notre Dame, as a flock of birds flew by, while the camera still pulled out. Knuckles did hope that one day… he would fit with the ones out there… someday…


End file.
